


Days Gone By

by Sorin



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: M/M, Many more tags to come, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:34:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26244244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorin/pseuds/Sorin
Summary: My collection of prompts from XIVWrite2020! I'm super excited to be participating again this year! I hope you enjoy these :D
Relationships: Warrior of Light/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 16





	1. table of contents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are all going to be varying lengths, though I'm going to try to be less wordy than usual :D; we'll have to see how well I do!

day 1 | crux | A'caji/Yhen'a AU

day 2 | sway | Sorin/Gylden, A'caji/Yhen'a AU

day 3 | muster | A'caji/Yhen'a AU

day 5 | matter-of-fact | A'caji/Yhen'a AU


	2. day 1. crux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick look at Yhen'a's thoughts after the MSQ ends, takes place in an AU in which Yhen'a locks himself in the Tower w/ G'raha.

Yhen’a sat quietly by the window of the apartment in the Pendants that he shared with A’caji, tail slowly swaying back and forth as he looked out at the sky. It was raining and rather cold, but he liked the fresh air- it was a _very_ welcome change to the Light, which had always felt like it was crawling all over his skin. It had been so hard on him to not be able to see the moon, faithful as he was- it felt like Menphina couldn’t see him, and that had left him feeling extremely out of sorts. He was glad things had changed, but… there was still so much to be done- it felt like a never-ending list that seemed to grow longer every time he thought it over.

He sighed and drew his legs up, wrapping his arms around them, and leaned against the wall. Thinking about it would only stress him out, and he had _more_ than enough stress in his life.

It felt like time was dragging all of a sudden, where it had sped by the first few months- fighting by A’caji’s side, getting to know him all over again… he was _glad_ for it, but he also felt like he was going to climb the walls if something didn’t _happen._ He wasn’t good at waiting, never had been, which had caused G’raha to gently nettle him as the years wore on- he often griped about having sealed himself in the Tower with such a brat, and G’raha always grinned at him. _One Warrior of Light is better than none,_ he’d say, and Yhen’a would roll his eyes at him and shake his head. That may have been the case, but, well… he wasn’t so sure.

… and that, he thought dryly, had been the crux of it in the end- where one might have served, two had ultimately been necessary- or rather, the one that _wasn’t_ him.

Another sigh, another flick of his tail. Done was done, it had all worked out, but it was bothering him- maybe because he just wasn’t used to being _still._ There was always so much to be done, so much to organize and build and accomplish, and now… now it was all finished, wasn’t it? All of it save for what he couldn’t help with, anyway, and until that was out of the way all he could do was _wait_. He closed his eyes briefly, then uncurled and stood up, stretching and looking around the room. If there wasn’t anything to do, then he’d _make_ something to do- and with determination, he set about cleaning every single ilm of the suite.

Anything to escape his thoughts- anything to keep from this stifling stillness.


	3. day 2. sway

Day 2 / Sway

The party had been going on for quite a while- long enough that Sorin was beginning to feel vaguely annoyed. He hated being the center of attention- even being on the outskirts was bad enough, and he wanted to be gone. There was, he supposed, good enough reason to celebrate… Ala Mhigo was liberated, Zenos yae Galvus a distant and bloody memory- it made sense that everyone was happy and wanted to celebrate. Still, he disliked crowds and thus managed to slowly work his way through until he was near one of the large arches that led outside, and he fled through it as soon as he could reasonably manage to do so.

The night air was cool compared to the stuffy ballroom, and Sorin sighed in relief, tipping his face up toward the stars. It was no small wonder he’d started to feel suffocated, he thought, and he glanced back briefly before looking back at the sky- then turning fully, surprised. “I was wondering if I’d need to go in after you,” he said, amused.

Gylden shook his head, ears back a little. “As soon as I saw you leave I took mine as well. I’d had enough a long time ago, but I didn’t want to seem rude… or ungrateful.”

Sorin smiled and leaned back against the railing, watching as Gylden settled in next to him. “I’m happy to leave them to their celebration… it’s theirs as much as it is ours, and as for me, all I want to do is sleep for a week.”

The other man studied him for a few seconds, a look of worry crossing his handsome face. He lifted a hand to lightly brush Sorin’s bangs back, then shook his head a little. “This is permanent, isn’t it?”

“I think so.” Sorin tipped his head into the touch, eyes falling half shut. “If this is the only price I have to pay to keep you by my side, I consider myself extremely lucky.” When he’d woken up after their battle with Shinryu, he’d found his hair bleached white in spots- it might have look like he’d simply aged, were it not for the vibrant red that the white streaked through. The change was clearly unnatural, and it was a bit unnerving, but… he’d made the choice to push himself past what he really ought to have, and he was more than content to live with it.

Gylden still looked worried, and Sorin couldn’t blame him. He’d been more or less upright when the battle had ended, but Sorin had been unconscious, and he’d carried him the entire way back while making sure nobody stopped to fuss or bother them. Bad enough that he’d passed out like that, it would have been worse to make everyone panic thinking that he was dead. Gylden glanced back toward the ballroom a bit warily, then sighed a little and smiled, pulling him into a hug and lightly bunting into his hair. “I’m just glad you’re all right,” he murmured. “I’ll take better care next time.”

Sorin chuckled quietly and nosed at his cheek, then drew back enough to look at him with a warm smile in return. “Are you the reckless one?” he mused, and Gylden grinned a little. “We’ve come a long way. I won’t let it worry me.” He nudged their noses together, then nestled close. He had no real reason to want to move, beyond being tired- it was nice standing like this, out beneath the stars with the sound of the party distant.

They stood there for a long while, letting themselves relax and unwind- they’d hardly had a moment to themselves since Sorin had woken up, and both of them were more than glad to take advantage of the opportunity. Strains of a familiar melody floated through the air, and two pairs of ears perked and swiveled towards it before Gylden drew back a bit, running his hands down Sorin’s arms to gently clasp his hands in his own. It was a truly incredible feeling- it felt like freedom, like nothing else mattered. They gazed at one another for a second before slowly leaning in, the melody dancing and swaying between them as everything else seemed to fade out. The cool breeze ruffled their hair, and Sorin sighed softly, contentedly… peace- it felt like peace. Hard-won and hard-earned, to be sure, but worth every moment of the journey even if this was only a temporary respite.

The stars sparkled in the sky above them as the wind playfully tossed droplets of water from a nearby fountain, but neither noticed as they, too, swayed to the music- content, fulfilled, safe.

\--

The trip back down from the peak of Mt. Gulg was grueling if only because Yhen’a was so worried. Emet-Selch had absolutely ruined everything, and he should have seen that coming, but- well, he hadn’t, and so here they were. Urianger had carried A’caji the entire way down, which Yhen’a fervently appreciated, and then he’d been deposited in his bed to sleep the rest of it off.

… and to wake, Yhen’a prayed silently, please.

A few bells later, A’caji stirred and slowly opened his eyes. Yhen’a sat bolt upright from where he’d curled up next to him, then slumped a little in relief and reached down to brush his hair back from his face. It had, alarmingly, begun to bleach out at the ends, and Yhen’a took that as a bad sign- but honestly, seeing him with his eyes open pushed any further worry to the back of his mind. “You’re awake,” he said, relieved.

A’caji blinked up at the ceiling, then slowly turned his gaze to Yhen’a. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cracking a little. Yhen’a quickly grabbed the glass of water he’d put on the bedside table and helped him sit up, then handed him the glass and looked at him worriedly. He drank most of it, then looked down into it before looking at Yhen’a. “What did you do?” he asked quietly.

Yhen’a blinked, then cleared his throat. “I… well.” He pinned his ears back and shook his head a little. “Ryne needed help, and the Light doesn’t impact me like it does you- so… I bound my aether to yours, in the hopes of staving it off.”

"I see.” A’caji looked back at the glass, then put it down and shifted, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and standing up in one smooth motion- faster than he should have, Yhen’a noted, bouncing up to support him as he swayed on his feet. “I’m okay,” he said, shaking his head- but he didn’t move away, and his ears fell back. “For now,” he muttered under his breath.

“You’ll be fine,” Yhen’a said firmly. A’caji gave him a somewhat incredulous look, and he smiled and nodded. “Trust me. We’ll make this work out one way or another, but- I won’t let you fall. I promise.”

A’caji opened his mouth to respond, then slowly closed it and studied him. He didn’t say anything, only nodded once before looking at the window. The Light was back, obviously, even through the shutters- glittering particles danced in the rays that crept through. His tail lashed once, then twice. “One Lightwarden left,” he murmured, looking down at his hands.

Yhen’a hummed quietly. “Yes,” he agreed. He paused, then grinned. “… but, as Lightwardens go, I would say you are by far the most attractive.”

The look A’caji gave him then was absolutely incredulous, but the corners of his lips quirked upward- he looked like he was struggling against it, even lifting a hand to his mouth quickly, but eventually he gave in and laughed. Yhen’a beamed, ears perking and tail swishing back and forth in delight. “Thank you, I think,” he said, shaking his head and still chuckling a little.

“You’re welcome.” Yhen’a took his hand and smiled brightly. “Shall we go, then? We’ve a world to save, after all.”

A’caji paused, then smiled faintly and nodded, lacing their fingers together and squeezing his hand. “Okay,” he agreed- and the two of them headed out of the suite and into the Light, to face whatever it brought with it.

Together.


	4. day 3. muster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yhen'a tries to muster up the courage to ask A'caji out on a date. It doesn't quite go as planned...

_Deep breaths, Yhen’a. You can do this._

Yhen’a stood nervously outside of A’caji’s door in the Pendants, fretting over what he was going to say- what _should_ he say? Was there much that he could? A’caji had told him to call him by his given name, after all, that had to be a good sign, but… but, he was still _nervous._ It was one thing to dream of seeing the love of one’s life again and an entirely different thing to be face to face with him- the shock still hadn’t worn off, not really. They had a lot to talk about and hadn’t had much time to stop, and there probably wasn’t enough _now,_ but, well… he’d told A’caji to rest, and to his surprise, the man had actually agreed- and eating dinner was still necessary whether or not one was resting.

Taking a deep breath, Yhen’a squared his shoulders and looked at the door. So, then, it was simple- he’d knock, ask A’caji if he wanted to get something to eat and talk for a little while, and… well, he’d get to the rest if his invitation was actually accepted. He hadn’t really thought entirely of what he wanted to say, only that he had _a lot_ to talk about- and some of it he couldn’t reveal, no matter how badly he wanted to. That would come later, he reminded himself, once all was said and done. There was no reason for A’caji to think him anything more than he was- a fellow Warrior of Light, who’d been blessed with the strange- and unwelcome, sometimes- ability to see the _future_ instead of the _past._

He flicked his tail back and forth. He could do this, definitely. He’d done a lot of far more difficult things, like watch the doors to the Tower close and leave A’caji alone on the other side. He couldn’t make up for that, he figured, but he could make things better going forward- and the best way to do that was to get to know him _now,_ not to rely on what he remembered and what the years had turned those memories into. Menphina, he couldn’t remember the sound of his voice, nor the exact curve of his lips when he smiled- he remembered bright yellow eyes, brown hair, and the fact that he was _tall._ Thankfully, none of that had been proven inaccurate.

… he still hadn’t knocked. _Damn_ it.

With a sigh, Yhen’a lifted a hand. Best to do it and just get it over with- to muster up his courage and _act_. The longer he stood here and worried about it, the more likely he’d be to skitter back to the Tower and hide for the next six bells. It would be easy enough, really, just-

“Yhen’a?”

The sound of his name nearly sent him through the roof. Yhen’a turned to face A’caji with wide eyes, tail fluffed to a frankly remarkable size, and ears pinned flat. “Oh!” he managed.

A’caji blinked, then put a hand to his mouth, trying to hide his smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Yhen’a sagged a little and put a hand to his chest. “It’s fine,” he mumbled. He took a couple breaths to calm himself, then straightened and looked at A’caji with an embarrassed smile. “I was… going to knock, but- it seems like that’s not necessary.”

“No,” A’caji replied, amused. To his credit, he didn’t ask if anything was wrong- if that were the case, Yhen’a would have already told him. “I went for a walk. … do you want to come in?”

_Oh._

For a moment, his brain froze- he hadn’t expected to be asked in! Yhen’a blinked, then stammered a bit. “I- w-well, if that’s all right, but I- I came to see if you wanted to get dinner with me. … if you haven’t already eaten-?”

A’caji looked surprised, ears perking up at the invitation, but he smiled quickly- and Yhen’a felt a lot better. “Yeah- I’d like that.” He paused, then gestured down the hallway. “Shall we, then?”

Yhen’a nodded and smiled back, tail swishing in delight- and, thankfully, smoothed back to its normal size. “Let’s go,” he agreed.

He’d figure out what to say on the way, he figured- and his smile warmed as he fell into step with A’caji easily, like no time had passed at all.


	5. day 5: matter-of-fact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yhen'a confronts the uncomfortable reality of what the Warrior of Light has to deal with on a daily basis.

Yhen’a sat quietly, mentally summoning every single ounce of patience he’d _ever_ had to his name. Meetings had never been his strong suit, not really, and this one was worse than most- he disliked hearing the Alliance leaders speaking of A’caji as though he were a tool or a weapon and not a _person,_ but here they were, charting their course for the next battle. His tail flicked irritably by his side as he watched, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. The Empire this, the beastmen that- there was always _something,_ wasn’t there? That was the worst of it.

… though he really couldn’t say that he and G’raha had done better on the First, and that tempered his irritation far more than simply telling himself that things would be different now that he could share the load.

When the meeting ended and he could escape outside for some fresh air- and a chance to _think_ \- Yhen’a did so as soon as he could. A’caji wasn’t far behind him, and he walked quite a distance away from the Alliance headquarters into the desert-like scape of the Peaks and stared blindly across the salt flats. How exhausting, how _horrible_ it must have been to be alone through this- and how _dare_ they act like they _own_ him?!

Gentle hands settled on his shoulders, and then A’caji wrapped him in a hug and rested his chin on top of his head. “Are you okay?” he asked softly. “I know it’s a lot.”

“I’m fine,” Yhen’a replied, tail whipping against A’caji’s legs and making him hum thoughtfully in a way that said _really?,_ and he sighed and shrugged, leaning back against him. “I can’t change what led us here, but they’re so matter-of-fact about just using you for whatever purpose, and I just…” He trailed off. “… I don’t have the right to be angry about it, I suppose,” he muttered.

A’caji held him tighter. “That’s different,” he said firmly. “Don’t do that to yourself.”

“I’ll try not to,” Yhen’a mumbled, shaking his head and sighing faintly. “… sorry. I don’t want to put more worries on you.” He looked up at the sky and took a slow breath- they were together, there was that at the very least, and he _was_ thankful for it.

“You never do.” A’caji paused, then chuckled a little. “… almost never.”

Yhen’a grinned and flicked his tail again. “I’m not the one who dives in head-first to whatever pile of enemies is in front of me!” he protested playfully- A’caji laughed outright at that, and he felt a gentle sort of warmth glow in his chest.

So long as he was happy, maybe the rest could be overcome later.


End file.
